My 11-year-old Shih Tzu gags when resting, but is otherwise healthy?

Poor guy. It is possible he has a bit of an upper respiratory infection. I would recommend getting him seen by your vet for something like this, because he will need the vet to listen to his lung and heart sounds for any abnormalities and clues as to what is going on internally. He may also need x-rays of his chest if there is severe congestion heard in his chest. I do hope that your fur baby Bobby is able to get this sorted out soon! Best wishes and take care.

She may have a scratch or swelling in the throat. It could be infection of the throat / trachea. Small breed dogs, like Shih-tzu or Yorkie suffer from tracheal collapse which can produce gagging and loud coughing. I would recommend you to take your dog to your vets to establish diagnosis and to get treatment.

I am afraid that is not normal. Considering that Snoopy is almost 16 years old my first thought here is that he needs his heart examined by your veterinarian. There is a condition almost every old dog gets, some worse than others, called endocardiosis. THis is a condition where the lips of the heart valves develop little nodules which then keeps the valves from closing properly and then the oxygenated blood is not effectively pumped into the rest of the body. This makes for a weak heart action and causes pulmonary edema, ie fluid in the lungs. The fluid in the lungs make breathing a chore (therefore a high respiration rate), and causes a moist cough when the dog is resting. Your dog also will not have as much energy as usual and slows down significantly. This can be significantly improved by giving diuretics and a heart medication that improved the output of the heart. Of course it is also possible that he has kennel cough or another respiratory condition. So I suggest you make an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam soon.

It could be some tracheal irritation due to dry air or residual congestion from laying down all night. If he isn't coughing all day/night, exhibiting lethargy or does not tire easily then just mention it to your veterinarian during the visit. Your vet will likely listen to the heart and lungs during the exam. Chest xrays may be recommended if indicated by something found on exam. Sparky should have a heartworm test if this is his yearly exam. Heartworm disease can cause also coughing as can various infections.

I'd be worried because this can be a sign of something serious like heart disease. I'd have Skippu seen by a vet today for a physical exam, geriatric blood work, a urinalysis, and possibly chest x-rays. Based on the results of those tests, the vet can make a diagnosis and discuss what treatment options are available. I hope this helps!

A cough associated with drinking can be a sign of dysfunction of the nerves that affect the larynx and the vocal cords. There are many other potential causes of a cough ranging from bronchitis to heart disease. I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian for a physical exam. X-rays might be recommended as a first step.

I'm sorry that Luna is having this issue. There are quite a few things that could be going on. Collapsing trachea is my best guess based on your description. I suggest you video the "coughing" behavior to show your vet. That will be the most helpful. I would also recommend x-rays of her chest as the next step. It is not a good idea to continue Famotidine for such a long time. It actually will stop the stomach from producing any acid at all which can make issues worse. If you are still doing that I would stop. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/tracheal-collapse-in-dogs )